Prologue

"Major Davis?" Lieutenant Rebecca O'Neill questioned coming to his office doorway at the Pentagon.

"Yes?" Paul Davis asked looking up from his computer screen. He managed to keep a professional look on his face but it was hard. The young woman standing in his doorway was beautiful and his attraction towards her was immediate and profound.

"Lieutenant Rebecca O'Neill reporting as ordered, sir." Rebecca replied as she snapped to attention and saluted.

Paul stood at attention and returned the salute. "At ease Lieutenant, please take a seat. How was your trip from Iraq?" He retook his seat and motioned towards the chair in front of his desk with his hand.

"Thank you sir." Rebecca replied as she sat. "Much better then the trip there sir."

"You are Colonel Jack O'Neill's daughter, correct?" Paul asked.

"Yes, sir." She answered, giving the man a strange look. First, Rebecca had been surprised when she was summoned to the Pentagon upon her return to DC by this handsome young officer and now he wanted to know about her family.

"Have you heard anything about what your father has been doing for the past couple of years?"

"No, Sir."

Paul nodded. "Your father has been working on a classified program called Stargate Command, the SGC, based out of Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado. It is based around a piece of alien technology that allows teams to travel to other worlds and other galaxies."

"Begging your pardon, Sir, but if it's classified then why are you telling me?"

"I've been looking over your file, Lieutenant, and there have been discussions about adding a fifth member to your father's team. General Hammond is the leader of the facility and he selected you himself and after reviewing your file I can say that I concur. You have achieved much for your age and your rank."

"Thank you Sir. When do I leave for Cheyenne Mountain?"

"In a month. I am told that you have another couple of weeks committed here in Washington."

"Yes Sir." Rebecca replied. "I have to finish the POW counseling treatments."

"Where are you staying?" Paul asked.

"I haven't figured that out yet."

"I have a spare bedroom if you want it." The man offered.

"Sir …"

"No. It's not what you're thinking. I promise I'll behave myself. Consider it my good deed towards someone who helped me keep the freedoms that I love so much."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Please call me Paul." He said with a smile. "Then I'll escort you to the Mountain myself when it's time. That's about the time that I have to go meet with General Hammond anyway."

"Thank you Sir … Paul." Rebecca said with a smile.

Later that day. Paul unlocked his condo and led the young woman inside. "The bedrooms are on the second floor." He led her upstairs and dropped her duffel bag on the inside of the door. "The bathroom is next door and my bedroom is across the hall. Towels are in the linen closet in the bathroom. You're welcome to anything and everything you want. Don't worry about running into each other in the bathroom; I have one off of my bedroom."

"Thanks Paul." Rebecca said, sitting on the bed.

"You alright Rebecca?"

"I haven't seen my father since I became an officer, hell I haven't even talked to him since right before I left for Iraq." Rebecca replied, looking at her hands. "What if he doesn't want anything to do with me?"

"I think that I've gotten to know your father about as well as he lets anyone get to know him. I highly doubt that he would turn you away."

"Before you saw my file did you even know that he had a daughter?"

"He's very private about his personal life."

"I'm sure that's it." Rebecca muttered.

"It would be good for you to go out and see Washington. Get changed and I'll treat you to dinner and maybe some dancing."

Rebecca looked up at Paul. "Are you asking me out on a date Major Davis?"

"Well, I guess I am." Paul replied leaning against the bedroom doorway. "Are you accepting Lt. O'Neill?"

"I guess I am." Rebecca answered. The two of them shared a wonderful dinner together. Their conversation flowed smoothly over a variety of topics. Finally, it was time for Rebecca's favorite part of the evening … the dancing. "You can dance right?"

"I'm not the best but I don't have two left feet either." The Major replied with a smile. A couple hours later, they had danced every fast dance and Paul pulled her close for a slow dance. "I'm happy that Hammond made the decision to put you in the SGC."

"Why?" She questioned.

"First of all I probably wouldn't have met you if he hadn't or I would have placed you there and then tonight would have been positively scandalous." Paul answered.

"It's already scandalous Paul." Rebecca replied softly. "If anyone found out I would still get accused of getting the job at the SGC in the worst fashion. It's already going to be difficult considering that I'm on my father's team."

"Rebecca …"

"As attracted as I am to you Paul … nothing can come of this." She answered.

"Can I at least kiss you once?" Paul questioned softly. Rebecca nodded and Paul's lips descended onto hers. They held hands the whole ride back to his condo and just barely made it through his front door without giving his neighbors a show. Paul scooped her up into his arms, kicked the door closed behind them and carried her upstairs and into his bedroom. He lay her down on his bed and followed her down. Rebecca pushed his jacket off his shoulders and he shrugged out of it. Paul growled into her mouth when the buttons on her shirt proved to be stubborn.

"Paul, stop." Rebecca said quickly, coming back to herself and pushing on his chest.

"What's wrong?" He asked, looking down at her.

"I can't do this." Rebecca said sitting up.

"Are you scared? Is this your first time? I'll be gentle, I promise. You have nothing to worry about." Paul replied quickly, also sitting up and kissing her shoulder.

"No … I mean, I'm not scared, and yes it is my first time, but there's another reason why I can't do this." Rebecca said softly.

"I understand." He said softly, getting up.

She reached out and grabbed his arm. "Paul."

"Rebecca, please." Paul pleaded, moving her hand off his arm. "I'm trying to be a gentleman but if you touch me again then I won't be able to. I'm not mad if that's what you're worried about. In fact, the only way I would have been mad is if you had let me force you into something that you don't want." Rebecca looked up at him with wide eyes and Paul groaned. "Why don't you go to your room and get some sleep." Rebecca nodded and went across the hall, shutting her door softly behind her. "And I'll go take a cold shower." He muttered before going into his bathroom. Paul was unsure of what woke him up. He stared at the clock on his bedside table for a long time before finally realizing that it was three in the morning. Paul started to go back to sleep when he heard the noise again; a whimper and a cry from his guest bedroom. "Shit, Rebecca." He muttered, flying out of his bed.

Rebecca wouldn't plead. She glanced over at the body of her CO. They had left his body in with her to make her think about her earlier decision to tell them to fuck off.

"Tell me darling…" The Iraqi said in broken English as he reentered her cell. "Has he changed your mind?"

"Go to hell!" Rebecca snapped. She looked around as the scene changed quickly.

"Don't tell them anything Lieutenant." Colonel Maxwell ordered. He was kneeling in front of her and had a gun to his head.

"Where are the men?" The Iraqi questioned.

"O'Neill, Rebecca Christine…" Rebecca started. She was cut off by a sharp slap to her face and the Iraqi pulling her forward by her hair.

"Answer the question or he dies." The Iraqi growled.

"Fuck off." Rebecca snapped. She winced as the gun went off and Colonel Maxwell fell down dead in front of her.

"Rebecca …" A voice called, trying to reach her through the fog. "Becca … you're safe, it's alright." Paul sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the screaming and crying girl into his arms.

"Paul?" She gasped, pulling herself out of his arms and looking right at him.

"Yeah, you're safe." He caught her when she threw herself into his arms. "I won't let them hurt you I promise. Come on, you're in my condo in DC … you're safe … you're not in Iraq anymore." He soothed her with his hands and voice as she sobbed. "What did you dream about?" He asked her when she had calmed down.

"It doesn't matter." Rebecca said hoarsely.

"You want some water?" Paul asked. He started to get up but stopped when she grabbed his arm.

"Please don't leave me." She begged.

"It's alright." He said, settling back down against her. He pulled the blankets up around them when she started shivering.

Rebecca rested her head on his chest as she let it register that she was safe. "They brought Colonel Maxwell into my cell. He reminded me that I was not to reveal anything no matter what and then they started questioning me. The first time they asked I just answered him with the name, rank and serial number, or I started to. The Iraqi slapped me and he pulled me out of my chair by my hair…" She trailed off as the tears rolled down her face.

"Becca …" Paul started.

"They had been doing this for hours." Rebecca cut him off. "They would bring him in and question me. Drag him back out and tell me that they were killing him and me telling would make them stop and save his life…I lost my temper when he pulled me by my hair…I told him to fuck off." She looked up at Paul. "He nodded at the man holding my CO at gun point and he shot him right there and then they left me…it seemed like forever but it was probably only a day or so. They didn't bring me any food or water … they just left me with my CO's body and then they started the questioning again." She let out a harsh sob. "I let them kill him."

"You did what you had to do, Becca." Paul replied. He pulled her back down so she could rest her head on his chest again. "Go back to sleep … I'll stay here with you."

"How can you be so nice to me Paul?" She asked, looking up again. "I pushed you away earlier and now …"

"Becca …" Paul started, gallantly trying to ignore the fact that he was just in his boxers and the object of his lust was lying in his arms. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to. You need me and I'm not about to abandon you…what kind of a gentlemen would I be if I did that?" He kissed her temple and once again pulled her down to rest her head on his chest. "Now go to sleep." Rebecca was sitting on the steps leading to his small fenced in back yard when he got home from work the next evening. "How was the counseling session?"

"Fine." Rebecca answered; bringing the cigarette she was holding to her lips and took a deep drag.

"I didn't know you smoked." Paul said with some surprise as he sat down next to her.

"I don't … much." She answered. Rebecca looked at him and took another drag. "I started again right before I went to Iraq. Does it bother you?"

"Does it help calm you down?" Paul asked.

"Answering a question with a question Paul?" Rebecca teased dryly. "How very DC politician of you." She gave him a thin smile. "It does some."

"Then no, I don't mind." Paul answered. He took the cigarette from her and took a drag off of it before handing it back to her.

"You don't look like a smoker." Rebecca said after a moment.

"Neither do you." Paul countered. "And I'm not … at least not anymore. I picked it up at the Academy and quit after graduation."

Rebecca smiled. "I quit when I left to go to the Academy."

"You were seventeen when you joined the Air Force." Paul said in amazement.

She simply shrugged. "I only smoked for a year. Daddy didn't quit until after my little brother died and he didn't really mind buying them for me. He was one of those parents who would rather have me do it to his face then behind his back so he could at least monitor it."

"That's the opposite of my parents." Paul said in shock. "My brother is in school to be a priest and I think they expected me to do that instead."

"Both of you can't be priests … no one to pass on the family name." Rebecca retorted with a smirk, taking another drag on her cigarette.

"I don't think that they wanted me to be a priest … but I do think that they expected grandchildren from me by now." Paul answered.

"So why aren't you married?" Rebecca asked, snuffing out her cigarette and dropping it into a paper cup filled with water.

"I just haven't found the woman that I want to spend the rest of my life with." Paul answered honestly. "Come on, I'm going to take a shower and then I'm going to cook you dinner."

"I need a man like you." Rebecca said as they both stood and then went inside the condo.

Paul smiled. "Well I could demand that you cook dinner but what kind of a host would I be if I did that?" The two of them were relaxing in the living room after dinner. "Have you called your father?"

"No." Rebecca answered shortly. She stood and went out to the back porch again with Paul right behind her.

"Why?" Paul asked as she lit a cigarette.

"What would I say to him Paul?" Rebecca questioned, turning to look at him. She had one arm around her stomach in a self-hug. "He didn't want me to do Special Ops and I did it anyway. The last time I spoke to him was right after I graduated from the Academy. No, I'll have plenty of time to talk to him when I go to Colorado." She looked at him for a long quiet moment. "How do you know me so well already?"

"I'm a trained observer." Paul said with a shrug.

"No…it's more than that." Rebecca replied.

Paul turned to look at her and spoke in a soft voice. "I'll be perfectly honest Becca, I've never fallen for someone so fast."

"Don't fall in love with me Paul." She said softly.

"Too late I'm already halfway there." Paul said honestly. He watched her snuff out her forgotten cigarette. He took her hand and led her back inside.